


Night a nine of diamonds

by 35391291



Series: Lingering and lost [2]
Category: The Magnificent Seven (2016)
Genre: Cartomancy, Divination, Dreamscapes, Gen, M/M, Magical Realism, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-26 08:32:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12553428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/35391291/pseuds/35391291
Summary: Now, every night, he leaves out the whiskey and the glasses. One for the king. One for the queen. And yes, one for the jack too.Maybe he is finally ready to listen. Maybe he is ready to know.





	Night a nine of diamonds

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by one of the prompts for Mag7Weekend: Supernatural Encounters, and especially by Bekah's [amazing time travel AU](http://awesomemixvolume-2.tumblr.com/post/164422935457/mag7-time-traveler-au).

Every card he drew  
Had a different face  
Lingering and lost  
Unholy holy ghosts  
I tend to play them all  
He spoke with confidence  
Another kind of strange  
To shift in loneliness

\- Patti Smith: [Nine](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBh0jOWHXag).

*

He turns them around in his hands. Maybe as a way to pass the time. Again.

He's never really thought about it, but they seem to be real. Almost. They are a bit like strangers, a bit like ghosts. They live in his breast pocket and sometimes in his saddlebag. Their weight is comforting, it keeps him grounded. They've been with him for so long, that he can't remember a time when they weren't here. Time after time, they keep finding his hands. He can't remember anything else.

Time can be complex, but they are simple. And he's almost grateful for that. They are just cards. Their meaning is enough. Good or bad. High or low. Win or lose. They are a way to pass the time, to earn his living. They mock him, yes, and they seem have a personality of their own. But that might just be him, year after year, trying to make his life a little less lonely. A little less lost.

He's never needed to find any deeper meaning in the cards. But now, something has changed. They seem to have new faces, and point towards a new direction. Maybe they know that he is restless, that life is passing him by. They see him, and they know that he is afraid. And they have something to say to him. Maybe they always have, and he wasn't paying attention. Or maybe he wasn't ready to know yet.

Maybe it's because of Vasquez and his own deck of cards. Faraday knows what they say. He listened, and he knows. After all these years, there are no secrets between them. Time keeps going by, but Vasquez is still here with him. He is too stubborn to let go. And he is kind and gentle and real. When he rests close to Vasquez, the rosary beads he wears press softly against him, and he feels safe. He is here. He is home. So maybe it's that.

_He's held this dream close to his heart for so long. They almost took it away from him, they almost won. But he managed to keep it safe, hidden in his pocket year after year. But not anymore. It has to be free now. And it's time to move forward. It's time to begin something else._

He used to gamble his life away. Slowly, like hours, like minutes. He always thought he was lucky, even if he had nothing else. Now, every night, he leaves out the whiskey and the glasses. One for the king. One for the queen. And yes, one for the jack too.

And when he wakes up, the cards are still there. They look brand new, as if they'd found another life in the dark. Maybe they have. And they are loud and urgent as they find his hands. Tonight, they have something to tell him, and it's time to learn their language. Maybe he is finally ready to listen. Maybe he is ready to know.

He fans them out, and picks them up, gently, one by one. He can do this. He has something now. And he looks at them, and they are heavy with meaning. The night is quiet, and he almost hears them as they fall, _nine of hearts, nine of diamonds, you have to make a wish now. Quickly. You have to let go._ And he just knows. He's seen them before. This card means change. This one means patience. And this one means trust. It's like he's always known.

Things are different now. Maybe this is something else. It's still not a gamble. It's not a game. Or maybe it is, and it is the best he's ever played. He knows what it means. He can't imagine being without his cards, and they are warm in his hands, as if they knew. All he needs is a little time. And he will play them, he will play them all. His eyes are brighter now, his hands are tender. And his heart is open. This card means honesty. This one means freedom. And this one over here? This one, it means home.


End file.
